The lantern flickered, casting exotic shadows along the inside of the tent.
"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" asked Scootaloo. Already nestled in their sleeping bags, the little filly made inchworm-like hops over to her adoptive sister's side.
"I, um, I'm fine, Scoots. I just need s-some space," said Rainbow Dash, turning on her side away from Scootaloo. "Sometimes I have a hard time getting to sleep. We'll get some rest and talk in the morning."
"You get nervous like this a lot when I'm with you. Are you... mad at me?" Her voice carried a pained quality.
Dash swiveled her head around. "What? No, of course not!" she said. "Scoots... it's my problem, okay? It has nothing to do with... I mean, it's not your fault."
"Oh. Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No. I'll be fine in the morning." Rainbow turned her head back around.
"Why don't you talk to Zecora?"
"Zecora?" grumbled Dash. "Why should I talk to her?"
"Zecora has all sorts of sleep remedies, and stuff for your nerves. I'll bet she can cure whatever's bothering you."
"I don't think..." said Dash, then she paused. "Huh. Actually, I guess it wouldn't hurt. Thanks for the idea, champ."
"No problem," said Scootaloo. She briefly nuzzled the side of Rainbow Dash's sleeping bag, then scooted back over to her side of the tent.
Scootaloo listened to soft sounds of motion coming from within her sister's sleeping bag. The quiet noise lasted for several minutes before Rainbow Dash finally sighed and went to sleep.
"I need your help," said Rainbow Dash. "I've got this... friend, who needs to reduce her libido."
Zecora raised a brow as she tossed another yam into the cauldron. "Oh Rainbow, why not tell me true? You are in love with Scootaloo," said Zecora, without blinking.
"Wh-what?" said Dash, her face paling beneath her pelt. "You... you're nuts! How did you..." She sat on the floor of Zecora's hut as tears began to well up. "Oh no. It's too late. Now everypony knows and they're going to take her away from me!"
Zecora trotted over to Rainbow Dash and lifted her chin with a hoof. "Breathe deep, dear Dash, and count to three. Your secret will be safe with me."
"Oh thank Celestia," said Rainbow, nearly hyperventilating. "I... how did you know?"
"It's clear to me, though not to most. I am a quite perceptive host," said Zecora. "Though why must your libido lack? Why not just love the filly back?"
"Are you kidding?" asked Dash. "Do you know how completely illegal that is?!"
Zecora shrugged. "I don't think that you're a vulture, whence I come, a different culture: youth companions are quite common, we give them fun things to nom on." She smiled and winked, then returned to making her stew.
"Wow. Okay, that's... kind of a fantasy come true. Maybe someday ponies will be open to that kind of thing, but that isn't how it is now," said Dash. "I'm not willing to do anything that might hurt Scootaloo, and that includes forcing her to keep our relationship a secret. I don't even think she'd wanna do that sort of thing with... wait, I can't believe I'm actually having this conversation." Rainbow Dash planted her face in her hooves.
"Rainbow, take heed: there is a way that you and Scoot may safely play. You want her love? I'll teach you how to keep it secret, here and now. But there is much I must impart," said Zecora, hoofing Dash a notepad and quill. "Take many notes, for now I start."
"Ohmygosh," whispered Rainbow Dash, holding the quill with a quivering hoof.
Scootaloo sat on Rainbow Dash's bed as the mare paced to and fro.
"Are you sure you're alright, Rainbow Dash?"
Dash stopped, and took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, I can do this. Yeah, Scoots. I'm fine. And could you call me, um... Dashie?"
Scootaloo's eyes shined like china plates. "Y-yes Dashie!" she said, her wings buzzing excitedly.
Rainbow Dash smiled, then climbed onto her bed and sat next to her adopted little sister. "That's better," she said, fuzzling Scootaloo's little mane with a hoof. "Okay, so, I told you I had a secret to share with you?"
Scootaloo nodded rapidly. "A big secret, right?"
Taking an empty gulp of air, Dash nodded back. "Yeah. The biggest. Look... this is a really big responsibility, Scoots. I'm talking about sharing a secret with you that you'd need to keep for the rest of your life," she explained. "No telling anypony, ever. Not the other Crusaders, not Aunts Lofty or Holiday... nopony. If you did, really bad stuff could happen. Are you sure this is something you want? I don't want to make you keep a secret like this unless you really, really want to share it with me."
"I Pinkie Pie Promise," said Scootaloo. "I'll never tell anypony! It's enough to share it with my big sister." She reached over and hugged Rainbow, who returned the gesture.
"Okay then. Well, there's several parts to it, so let's start slow. First off... do you know what a lesbian is?"
Scootaloo nodded and smiled. "Uh-huh! My aunts are lesbians. They're girls that like other girls," she said. "And you're a lesbian too, right?"
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "How did you...?"
"Pinkie Pie told me," said Scootaloo. "But you kinda flirt with girls and stuff so I would have guessed."
"Heh," said Dash, blushing. "I guess it's more obvious than I thought."
"But you don't get in trouble for being a lesbian anymore," said Scootaloo. "Cheerilee taught us that."
"Right. Well, that's not the big secret." Rainbow Dash pulled Scootaloo up into her lap and held her close. "There's a lot more. But I needed you to know I like girls first."
Scootaloo leaned back into Rainbow's legs and smiled. "I like girls," she said. "I think I might be a lesbian too."
Rainbow Dash's heart skipped a beat. "R-really? I always kinda thought... I mean, that's not right, to make an assumption like that, but you're kind of a tomboy and sometimes lesbians are like that."
"Yeah, I know," said Scootaloo, frowning. "But that means other lesbians won't like me, doesn't it? Because I'm more like a boy than a girl."
"No way, Scoots! Tons of lesbians like it when a girl looks like a boy. I mean, I definitely like it. I think you're really cute the way you are. Like, hot, even." Rainbow's stomach pulse beat gently against the back of Scootaloo's head.
Holding Rainbow's forelegs in hers, Scootaloo tightened Rainbow's grip on her shoulders. "That's... awesome, Dashie. You're just saying that, though..."
"Nah, you're definitely hot stuff, kiddo. In fact, that's part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and exhaled. "Alright, next question. Scoots... do you know what a pedofoal is?"
Scootaloo rested her head back onto Rainbow Dash's chest. "No... I don't think so."
"Okay. Well, a pedofoal is a mare or stallion who likes children..."
"Like Miss Cheerilee?"
"Not exactly—well, not that I know of anyway—I mean they like children. Like, pedofoals are adults who can fall in love with foals."
There was an awkward moment of silence, but Scootaloo maintained her grip on Dash's legs.
"Do you know why I'm telling you this, Scoots?"
"Rainbow Dash—I mean Dashie?"
"Yes?"
"Are you a pedofoal?"
"Yeah, squirt. I am."
"Oh. Is that the secret?"
"It's a big part of it, yeah. Look, hon... most ponies think it's real bad for an adult and a foal to love each other. They think anything about sex hurts foals."
"That doesn't make any sense," said Scootaloo. "Do you think love has to hurt?"
"No, I don't. But most ponies do, and if they knew I was a pedofoal they wouldn't let me be around you anymore."
"Then I'll never tell anypony."
"Well, it's even worse that I'm telling you I'm a pedofoal. If anypony knew we talked about this, it'd be the end of my life. I'd be drummed out of the Wonderbolts, and I might even go to prison. I'm not even kidding when I say the end of my life—the other prisoners would kill me."
"If it's that bad, why tell me?" asked Scootaloo. "I mean, I don't want you get kicked out of the Wonderbolts or worse, so I would never tell, but why do you want me to know?"
Rainbow Dash bit at her lower lip. "There's a few reasons, Scoots. One is, it's hard being a pedofoal and having nopony to talk to about it. But a bigger one is that I want you to be able to end my life."
"But I don't want you to die, Dashie!" Scootaloo broke free of the hug so she could turn around and face Rainbow Dash, her eyes watery.
"I know, kiddo. I don't want me to die either, but I want you to have that power." Rainbow lifted Scootaloo's forehooves up and placed her hooves on top of them. "I want my life to be in your hooves, because I trust you. But I also want that because I want you to be the one in control."
"I, I don't understand..."
"Squirt, one of the reasons it can be dangerous for an adult and a foal to be close to each other is that the adult has power over the foal," said Dash. "I want you to always have the power to end my life, if you ever think it's the right thing to do. And I want you to know that even if you decide to end my life, I still love you."
Scootaloo reached out and glomped onto Rainbow Dash, sniffling. "I love you too. I'll never do anything to hurt you, no matter what other ponies think."
Dash gently pet Scootaloo's mane and smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Do you understand why I'm telling you this now? Why I wanted you to know I'm a pedofoal?"
After nuzzling Dash's chest, Scootaloo looked up into her eyes. "Is it... Rainbow Dash, are you in love with me?"
Rainbow Dash wiped away a tear and nodded. "Yes."
"Like, you want to be my special somepony?"
"Yes, Scoots."
Scootaloo's wings buzzed like a hummingbird, and her eyes widened. "For real? Even though ponies think it's wrong?"
"Do you know what a foal molester is?"
"I thought it was somepony who hurts foals..."
"It's somepony who makes love to foals. A foal molester is a pedofoal who loves a foal so much she makes love to her, even though most ponies think it's wrong."
"You're a foal molester too, huh?"
"Not yet, no. But I love you, and now you have a special power."
"I don't want to hurt you Dashie."
"But even though you never will, you can hurt me, at any time. Remember, my life is in your hooves now," said Dash. "I'm your property, Scootaloo. I belong to you, just like your scooter. You can make me do anything you want to, and I have to say yes. Even if it means turning me into a foal molester."
"How do I do that?"
Rainbow Dash smiled. "Try grabbing me by my mane, and pull my hair."
"I don't want to hurt you..."
"I want you to. It'll be fun."
Scootaloo grabbed Rainbow Dash's mane and pulled her head down until they were facing muzzle to muzzle. "I... I want you to teach me how to kiss. Like the way mommies and daddies do it," she whispered.
"Thank you Scoots," said Dash, barely holding back tears.
"For what?" said Scootaloo, cocking her head to the side cutely.
"For turning me all the way into a foal molester." Rainbow Dash's wings spread wide and twitched.
The little filly smiled. "Thank you for molestering me, Dashie," she said, and pulled her lover into a warm kiss.
Zecora answered the knocking on her door, only to find Scootaloo pronking in place, wings flitting like mad.
"Well, Scootaloo. How do you do?"
"IT WORKED!" shouted the filly, as she hugged Zecora's legs.
